Sales expected to begin in first quarter of 2018.

The current generation of the BMW X3 has been on the market for roughly six years, and the Bavarian brand is going to give it a well-deserved retirement soon when the all-new X3 arrives. This won’t happen until the summer of next year though, as a new report indicates the official debut of the car is planned for August 2017.

Until now, it was believed the car will debut in the first months of the year with a global premiere at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Now, BMW Blog is saying the next X3 will be unveiled in August, followed by a world premiere at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show a month later.

Production of the vehicle is scheduled to start on August 27 at the company’s Spartanburg factory in United States, where also the flagship X7 SUV will be manufactured. BMW will also assemble the 2018 X3 at its Rosslyn factory in South Africa to ease the pressure on the American facility.

More on the 2018 X3:

Expected to go on sale in March 2018, the new X3 will be slightly bigger than the current model. Despite the minor bump in size, it will be lighter by up to 220 pounds (100 kilograms), according to some sources. Don’t expect major changes in the engine lineup, as the premium SUV will continue to be offered with a range of four- and six-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel motors.

Later during the vehicle’s lifecycle BMW will add no less than three performance variants - the warm M40i and M40d duo, and the range-topping X3 M with around 500 horsepower. Also, the Bavarian brand has already announced it has plans for a pure electric version of the X3 due to arrive by the end of the decade.